Kiss Me Kate (TV 1958)

Director:

George Schaefer

Writer:

Cole Porter

Stars:

Robinson Stone, Jack Klugman, Harvey Lembeck

Cast

Credited cast:
Robinson Stone	...	Harry Trevor / 'Baptista Minola'
Jack Klugman	...	Gangster
Harvey Lembeck	...	Gangster
Rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Lee Cass	...	Gromio
Alfred Drake	...	Fred Graham / "Petruchio"
Jerry Duane	...	Hortensio
Lorenzo Fuller	...	Paul
Bill Hayes	...	Bill Calhoun / "Lucentio"
Eva Jessye	...	Hattie
Paul McGrath	...	Harrison Howell
Patricia Morison	...	Lilli Vanessi / "Katherina"
Lee Richardson	...	Ralph
Julie Wilson	...	Lois Lane / "Bianca"

Storyline

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Plot Keywords:

divorce | actor | based on stage musical | shakespeare's the taming of the shrew | based on stage musical based on stage play | 

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Genres:

Musical

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 November 1958 (USA)

Also Known As:

Hallmark Hall of Fame: Kiss Me Kate (#8.2)

Company Credits

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min 90 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Black and White (surviving kinescope prints) Color

Did You Know?

Trivia

A very early example of long form, color, video tape (Ampex) recording.

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Connections

Version of ShakespeaRe-Told: The Taming of the Shrew (2005)

User Reviews

An amazing surprise!

I didn't know that this existed but I was surfing through the channels last night and this appeared (near the beginning). (The listings gave the cast of the 1953 film.) The kinescope is not in great shape but I did immediately recognize Alfred Drake and Patricia Morrison who were absolutely authoritative in the parts that they originated on the Broadway stage. I also liked Bill Hayes as Bill Calhoun-Lucentio even though I missed the dancing of Harold Lang.

I thought Klugman and Lembeck were fine as the educated thugs though not as good as Wynn and Whitmore were in the film. I was less enthused about Julie Wilson as Lois-Bianca.

I got a big kick out of "Tom, Dick and Harry" even if it was better done in the film by Ann Miller (Cole was really incorrigible!!) and the backstage settings were satisfactory. But it's clear that Keel and Grayson were outshone in this version by the two original leads. (I saw the original production as a child.)

Ed